Voorhees, Hunterdon Central, North Hunterdon wrestling preview

Dylan Nace, left, here in action last year at 113 pounds, is among the top wrestlers returning at Hunterdon Central. ((Photo by George Pacciello))

The Voorhees High wrestling team graduated five important contributors after last season.

But with U.S. Naval Academy-bound standout Jadaen Bernstein, a two-time state place-winner, and plenty of other experienced grapplers back in the fold, the Vikings expect to have another winning season after placing second at the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex County Tournament last winter.

“I expect good things this year from the team,” said Bernstein, who’ll wrestle at 170 or 182 pounds this season. “Everyone’s working hard and believes we can achieve our goal of a sectional championship and possibly a state title.”

Voorhees went 22-5 last season with three of its losses coming against state powers Bound Brook, Delaware Valley and Watchung Hills.

The Vikings move forward without graduates Ronnie Honickel, Walter Gonsiewski and Max Lamport, who combined for 93 wins in 2011-12. But the coaching staff and team leaders feel confident they’ll be able to reload with a highly competitive team as several of their returning wrestlers have improved tremendously from a season ago.

“The wrestlers we have are returning with lots of experience,” Bernstein said. “Down low we have guys that worked hard all summer that will have breakout years this year, including Tom Beishke, Cody Ihling, Mike Muscatello, and Tyler Yarnell. In the middle of the lineup, our key wrestlers are going to be Christian Okulicz and Jordan Juliano, and I expect big things out of upper weights Nick Ruggiero and Kyle Levy.”

Eric Hall, Voorhees’ third-year head coach, said the Vikings are confident they’ll be able to repeat as Raritan Division champions in the Skyland Conference.

“We lost to Governor Livingston in the second round of the state sectionals,” Hall said. “We’re looking to go deeper in the team states this year. We would love to beat all of our friendly foes in Hunterdon County this year. We haven’t done that since 1996.”

Voorhees begins its season Saturday morning by competing in the Egg Harbor Township High Tournament in Atlantic County in a field that also includes Warren Hills, Clearview Regional and the host school.

The Vikes’ regular-season opener is Wednesday at Somerville, just the beginning of a brutal schedule that includes Delaware Valley, North Hunterdon, Phillipsburg, Kittatinny and Hunterdon Central.

NORTH HUNTERDON

North Hunterdon placed third in the Delaware Division of the Skyland Conference in 2011-12. This winter, Head Coach Tim Flynn feels the Lions will rely on their talent, not their depth.

“We’ll need some luck along the way,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of depth.”

North Hunterdon returns state place-winners Ryan Pomrinca and Liam Korbul, who combined for 77 wins last season. Both finished seventh in the state.

Pomrinca, one of the top sophomores in the state, is confident in his team’s chances this winter.

“I feel our team has come together and bonded as a family,” he said. “If we each try our hardest and know we could not have done better, then we’ve succeeded and winning will take care of itself.”

North Hunterdon’s lineup will feature several talented wrestlers in addition to Pomrinca and Korbul. Matt Moncourtis at 126 pounds, Eric Martin at either 126 or 132 and Pomrinca (120) will fill the lower weights, while middleweights Mike Sicola and Mike Ciavarro will return after breaking into the varsity lineup in 2011-12.

“We have some kids returning who enjoyed some success last year,” said Flynn, whose career record is 43-21. “They have to keep focused on the fact that last year is over and they need to work hard each day to get better. No one cares what they did or did not do last year.”

With graduates Beau Vrancken, Joe Ragsdale, Matt Wilson and Matt Dorscher out of the lineup, the Lions expect 113-pounder Derek Ciavarro, 132-pounder Brian Smolinsky, 152-pounders Connor Rhinehart and Brendon Balzano and 160-pounder Joe Guzzo to step in and make an impact immediately.

“Our job as a staff is to make sure the kids don’t read the papers and buy into that stuff,” Flynn said. “Instead, they need to put the work in and have the right attitude to get better every day. There are a bunch of guys who will be in a new role this year. Their ability to fill that role or step right in will dictate our season. That and the returners will have to get their jobs done as well.”

HUNTERDON CENTRAL

Hunterdon Central went 15-7 last winter and placed fourth in the Delaware Division of the Skyland Conference. There’s hope for an even better season in 2012-13.

Leading the way for the Red Devils are returning state finalist Gary Dinmore, All-Star Invitational participant Dylan Nace and highly-touted David Fenton.

Dylan Nace, who wrestled at 113 pounds last winter, believes the Red Devils will be a team to fear in Hunterdon County.

“We have Dinmore, David Fenton, Tyler Cote and myself, all who did well last year, coming back,” he said. “Those guys were the better wrestlers in our lineup.”

Dinmore, who fell victim to Anthony Ashnault’s third state championship at 126 pounds in the state final last season, earned victories over Delaware Valley’s Mike Pongracz to win district and region titles before riding his momentum to the podium in Atlantic City.

Fenton, who was 25-12 at 170 last season, will be Central’s featured upper-weight wrestler after earning wins over Mount Olive’s Dylan Offerding and Paramus’ Brandon Lopresti. Fenton suffered a loss in sudden death to North Hunterdon’s state qualifier, Beau Vrancken, to end his 2012 season.

Following a 31-win season last year, Nace is ready to step into a leadership role.

“This year, as an upperclassman, I’m putting in the effort and, like my teammates, am working hard,” he said. “I expect our team to go pretty far this year. We have a very solid lineup.”

The lineup warrants the high expectations. Kyle Rodriguez, Mike Zampetti and Collin Boylan will join Dinmore and Nace down low, forming a dangerous group of lower weights.

And don’t count out the Devils’ middleweights. Dylan Cote, Tyler Cote and Fenton combined for 59 wins last season. Up top, Nestor Crespo, Dan Hausman and Gabe Barba return after breaking into the varsity lineup last season.

Throughout the season, the Devils will have opportunities to prove themselves against some of the state’s top teams. On the way toward trying to win its first group state title since 1989, HCHS will run through a brutal schedule that includes matches with Jefferson, North Hunterdon, Delaware Valley, Phillipsburg, Paramus, South Plainfield, Franklin, Warren Hills and Voorhees.